"They should officially apologise for their wrongdoing," he said at the opening of an Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit in Libya.

He said the colonial powers should pay for the "casualties and material damage they have inflicted."

The BBC's John Simpson reports on the gathering in Libya

He also insisted that they should "return the antiquities they have stolen from Africa".

And he said Africa should have a place on the United Nations Security Council.

Anniversary celebrations

The specially-convened summit - called by Colonel Gaddafi - marks Libya's return to the world stage after a decade of international isolation.

The summit was an opportunity to display military might

The Libyan leader is keen to use it to promote his vision of a "United States of Africa", complete with its own parliament and institutions.

The gathering, in Colonel Gaddafi's home town of Sirte, has also been combined with delayed celebrations to mark the 1 September anniversary of the revolution that brought him to power 30 years ago.

He treated more than 40 African heads of state to a display of military might featuring soldiers from across the continent.

As the Libyan leader saluted the troops, long-range missiles, warplanes and tanks passed in front of the leaders for their approval.

'Time to move forward'

At the official summit opening on Wednesday night, Colonel Gaddafi pushed his case for a united Africa.

"Now we are free and independent, it's time to move forward. We should not waste any time," he said.

More than 40 African leaders are gathered in Libya

And calling for an African seat on the UN Security Council, he said: "We cannot continue to be useless and powerless at the UN General Assembly when Africa represents nearly a third of UN-member countries.

"The African is greater than the Russian, the French or the British who hold vote powers at the Security Council."

Colonel Gaddafi has increasingly turned his attentions towards his African neighbours after accusing Arab countries of failing to stand by him during the sanctions imposed in the wake of the Lockerbie bombing.

Leaders lukewarm on unity

However, his central theme of a united Africa is not shared by all the leaders.

They appear to be treating the idea politely, but with no great enthusiasm, according to the BBC's John Simpson in Libya.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe said diplomatically that everyone cherished the principle that one day Africa should be united.